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How ancient was the BMW to be suffering serious structural rust?
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It wasn't structural, I probably didn't explain that very clearly, it needed mechanical work for the MOT, and on top of that, I found a fair bit of cosmetic rust around the arches etc.
I've already been over to MG-Rover forums to check up on the car, the general consensus is pretty positive about the running costs.
I've also had the garage on the phone saying that the car needs a wiper motor for the MOT which is on order so I will now probably get the car on Tuesday/Wednesday instead of the weekend, a bit disappointing but at least I know that the MOT is being done properly, they're sticking new brake pads on too.
Blue
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Wrong time of year to buy a cabrio, but definitely the right time to enjoy one!
Hope you enjoy it Blue.
Wee bit jealous.
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Hope you've got plenty of savings to pay the dentists bills when your fillings fall out! The suspension is 'firm' at best... My friends had a Trophy 160 - great fun round the twisty bits when you wanted some fun, but a real pain in the bum (literally!) for everyday driving as the suspension is so hard - feels like you are doing about 70 when you are only doing 30.
--
RichardW
Is it illogical? It must be Citroen....
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Hope it's good for you as I don't want to be a party pooper but...I just thought it a bit strange to read the first few lines that you are coming from a BMW to an MGTF because of costs!!
I probably bought a dog, although friends also had similar experiences with their MG's, but my TF was the most costliest mistake I ever made. If it wasn't one thing it was another and the above posts are correct about suspension-they need regular pump up's and even then the ride is still bumpy.
Thankfully I got rid.
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I fancied an MGF a few years back, but being 6ft tall I couldn't get the driving position right, the top of the screen was too low and I found myself crouching my neck to see under it. I heard that the early ones were heavy on rear tyres, 3k miles not being an uncommon life for a pair. I haven't tried the TF for size but I found the Mazda MX5 to be the most comfortable to sit in (although I didn't take a test drive) but then my head (and SWMBO) took over from my heart and I ended up with the Mondeo. Just make sure you keep an eye on the coolant level (I'd check it every day) as they have a small capacity which means you can't afford to lose any without severe problems and IIRC there was a problem with one of the hoses at one time.
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Coolant warning light kit:
bg.mgcars.org.uk/index1.html?o=117648456623688
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sorry, then go to MGF - Cooling, on the left hand side :-)
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Coolant warning light kit: good one it might be dear but worth every penny
or you could build your own care of maplins?
or modify a low level washer bottle switch?
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Hmm why should a TF suspension need regular pump ups when the TF suspension was changed from Hydrogas on the F to a more standard coil spring setup. Did you really own a TF or are just making that up.
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I was wondering that, I was quite certain that the TF had coil springs! :-)
To be honest, I know that the MG is not as well made as the BMW, but it's a lot younger and has done a lot fewer miles, plus the BMW has some big bills coming up very soon, the only thing I may need to get done on the MG is a cambelt change which a local specialists want £220 for including tensioners, substantially cheaper than the bills for the Beemer! The car has a 12 month MOT freshly applied, as part of that they have fitted a new wiper motor and new front brake pads (which is good as they're the expensive variety!).
I'm really looking forward to getting her now, especially as the weather's really starting to pick up, can't wait to get the top down! :-)
Blue
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I know they do suffer problems, but when I hear people talking about the K-series problems, I always think of a friends S1 Elise. 120,000 miles, driven hard including the odd trackday, and never missed a beat. Mind you he was fanatical about checking fluid levels and getting servicing done bang on time. Sounded great at high revs as well. Lovely, slightly offbeat growl - almost like a 5 pot.
I would be inclined to agree, get whatever preventative mods done that you can, keep an eye on levels, and keep the servicing up, and it'll probably keep going long after you want to change it anyway.
I think they'd sorted a lot of the build niggles out on the later cars as well. Nice motor - enjoy!
Cheers
DP
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I've got her! I've got her! :-)
It's been a bit of a nightmare I have to say, I was supposed to collect her on Tuesday but somebody at the garage reversed her into something and cracked the back bumper, this took two days to fix, but she's all shiny again now.
The only other thing to go wrong was with the insurance, I'd got a quote from a brokers and took the reference, yet when I tried to take the policy out today they informed me that the underwriters had withdrawn that type of on-line policy so now it was £160 more expensive! :-( I wouldn't have minded except if I'd took the policy out on Tuesday when I was meant to colect her I'd have got the lower price!
My initial impressions are that she's a really nice car and I think I'm going to have a lot of fun driving her, although she's by no means as well made as the BMW and certainly not as refined!
The only faults I've found so far are a dodgy CD player that tends to skip and the fan blower only works on setting 3 or 4.
Anyway, I'm off to Ebay to find me a nice Kenwood head unit!
Blue
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The only faults I've found so far are a dodgy CD player that tends to skip and the fan blower only works on setting 3 or 4.
Fan blower likely to be the resistor pack on top of the unit - easy repair for the garage.
hth
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Be sure to keep us updated as to the reliability of the car. Hopefully you'll never post on this thread again or start another negative one about the car.
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Be sure to keep us updated as to the reliability of the car. Hopefully you'll never post on this thread again or start another negative one about the car.
ive just spit my morning coffee all over the keyboard
thanks for that
just seen the pork thread on fuel and then saw flying pigs :-)
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Well, I nearly had my first breakdown on Friday morning when I struggled to get the car to start, it was spluttering and sounded very sluggish in turning over, I immediately thought that once I'd had her fixed I would come back and report the breakdown here.
My first thoughts were that there was an electrical fault draining the battery quicker than should be possible. However, it turns out I was being a bit pessimistic, I'd left the interior light switched on whilst I went away on business for four days! I switched the light off, tried again and gave the throttle some stick at the same time and off she went with her usual little morning growl and exhaust rasp, although I could hear the alternator under full load trying to charge the battery back up!
I will of course keep coming back to this thread every time something else breaks...
Blue
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for a cheap coolant sensor you can buy and fit the latest coolant expansion tank and sensor fitte befor mgr went bust. they cost roughly £40 from an xpart dealer.
chris.
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Yeah I've thought about getting that fitted but to be honest I just haven't had the time yet, I know I should do it or else I may have a genuine problem to moan about! :-)
Blue
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I've got her! I've got her! :-)
I'm sure we're all agog to know the price. Fully restored, £15,000 seems to be the going rate.
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I've got her! I've got her! :-)
I'm sure we're all agog to know the price. Fully restored £15 000 seems to be the going rate.
Huh?
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I thought that as well, bintang was pondering a Seat and a Skoda a few weeks ago, maybe he's misposted.
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"bintang was pondering a Seat and a Skoda "
Yes, a comedown after my MGtf (not TF). I had 5 MGs all told but not a TF, which is why I am interested.
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I paid £6,999 for her at the time that I first posted.
I wouldn't exactly call her fully restored though, she's only about 4 and a half years old!
Blue
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Sorry. I thought you meant 1952! Your car seems to be an MGtf (small tf) not an MGTF, which is now almost vintage (but very pretty). I had a R-reg MGtf which was a lovely drive but quality control was apalling. In the first couple of months I had a new hood, aircon unit, windshield and headlamps, plus some smalller items. The petrol filler pipe was supplied twisted and would only accept a dribble. The new windshiled was repalced with a still newer one as the fitter left the wipers in such a way that they scored the glass. Maybe it was the same fitter who inserted the headlamps so that they raised the beams in the dipped positiion.
Of course, BMW standards probably applied to later models and at least I was spared cooling problems the engine seems prone to. Someone on the original development team told me the company had not dreamed how successful the car would be in the market. Surely it should have guessed that the pent-up demand would explode.
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Even HJ himself refers to it as an MGTF in the car by car breakdown!
The old MG TF was mid to late 50's surely and just before the prettier MGA?
Visited Naylor Brothers, in Shipley I think, who turned out TF replicas based around Morris Itals.
Not a success but passed the type approval crash testing.
Good luck with the new MGTF. Think there are aftermarket larger header tanks to assist with coolant monitoring.
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TF was a slightly facelifted version of TD, with faired-in headlamps, curved radiator grille and slightly lowered bonnet and front wing lines. I preferred the TD myself, but they weren't all that terrific as cars although handsome.
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Think the engine size went up to 1500cc eventually and I believe there was a production overlap of the TF with the A as the Yanks were resistant to the newer styling.
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I didn't even know that there was a previous TF! Still, probably about three decades before my time. :-)
Blue
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>The old MG TF was mid to late 50's surely and just before the prettier MGA? >
I friend bought one in 1953 so a 1952 registration might have been possible, but this was in Malaya (as it then was). May not have been available yet in the UK, which was exporting as much as it could at the time. I was on my second TC (first postwar Midget) by then, the first having blown up in the first few days. I went on to a TD and, much later, an MGBGT, latterly an MGtf. The last, by the way, was the only one that did not have a leaky roof.
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Well I did say that I would always report back with any problems, today, for the first time in my driving career, the car has refused to start. :-(
Looks like it will be a tow'n'fix job to the local engine guru who convieniently is only a mile away.
However, much to the dismay of some of the doomsayers, the broken car in question is my Mondeo, so I am now in the bizarre situation of havong to get a faultless MG out of hibernation to cover up for the failings of my other old girl.
I bet nobody saw that one coming :-)
Blue
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I tried finding my old "how do I lay the car up for winter?" thread but couldn't so I thought I'd post my update here.
The TF has been laid up since September, almost totally unmoved, certainly never started, I didn't inflate the tyres above their normal pressures, in fact all I did do to prepare her was give her a wash!
I went to start her yesterday (granted I did charge the battery first) and she fired straight up on the first turn of the key, I've been driving her all yesterday and today (including a great drive through to Beamish on some winding roads) and absolutely everything that worked when I laid her up is still working now.
The ride is just as bumpy as ever though, I'd forgotten what it was like after having Ghia X comfort for so long. :-)
I'm still waiting to regret buying her. *touches wood* ;-)
Edited by Blue {P} on 16/02/2008 at 19:29
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Oops, I knew I shouldn't have added that last sentence!
The head gasket went this afternoon, it had to happen I suppose!
Never mind, I stopped her before she overheated (I knew it had gone as the heater went cold) she gets recovered in the morning and will be repaired under the terms of my AA warranty so I don't expect to have to fork out much for this, probably about £50 - £75 tops (I can't remember my excess).
Another bonus is that I'm still mobile thanks to the Mondeo which continues to deliver reliable motoring since her incident last year.
Go on, someone say I told you so. :-)
I *still* don't regret buying her! I'd rather have her with an HGF than a boringly reliable MX-5.
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Bad luck.... at least you got to drive it in this sunny weather before it went. It will be fixed before we get more good weather so you'll continue to enjoy it I hope.
We've been looking at new houses this weekend ;-) Actually got to Chirk Castle and Llangollen too mind.
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Oh yes, I can assure that I will continue to enjoy her, especially with a Land Rover modified head gasket fitted, should prevent any future mishaps. ;-)
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At least you can get the upgraded repair kit fitted now -- I believe there is one. Never mind, it'll be back on the road for when the sun comes out ...
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